I attended high school in Kentucky and was given the option of taking French or Spanish as an elective. Of course, I chose French because I thought it sounded “cooler” than Spanish. I wish someone would have pointed me in the other direction. I now live in Texas and would really benefit from prior Spanish classes. I don’t really see myself visiting France any time soon, LOL! I would love for my boys to learn Spanish. There have been several instances where I have needed to speak with people who didn’t speak English, but had no idea how to communicate except through hand signals, which didn’t always work that well.
Gio, from ReadingAmigo.com wanted to share information on the mom blog about teaching children foreign languages. Meet Gio:
In the past, I had often thought of teaching my child a foreign language but hesitated since I wondered whether teaching my child Spanish at an early age would slow down the acquisition of the English language? I had heard stories about how multilingual children have had a rough time getting adjusted to a school environment because their vocabulary isn’t at the level where it should be due. After a little research, I found nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, children raised in families that are exposed to multiple languages speak faster, and have higher reading scores at the 5th and 6th grade level. Studies have found that foreign language study helps close the achievement gap for students who have been struggling. Children of color, children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, children of average and below average intelligence, and English Language Learners are the ones who benefit most from foreign language study by making the greatest proportional gains in achievement. In this way, foreign languages can be used as a tool to level the playing field or to give your child a boost that will last a lifetime!
Source: Elementary School Foreign Languages and English Reading Achievement: A New View of the Relationship. By Garfinkel, A. and K.E. Tabor.
